Bittersweet Persuasion
by Schiff Thomas
Summary: -Complete- Was Jackson really a villian... or just another victim?
1. The Beginning

**Bittersweet Persuasion  
_Prologue_**

Charles Keefe walked up to Lisa. His eyes where watering and his face was red as if he had been crying.

"Mr. Keefe." She said worried. "Are you… alright?" Mr. Keefe sat down next to her and didn't say anything for many moments. He nodded slightly.

"You didn't tell me you're attackers name." Charles said. "The man on the airplane." He said showing no emotion as he looked down at his hands.

"Jackson-" She started but he cut her off.

"Rippner… I know…" He bitting his lip a moment before looking up at her tears fresh in his eyes.

"You know?" She asked. He nodded.

"Yeah…" He said. "I know… I went down to the hospital where he was being treated. He passed away two hours ago."

"Good." Lisa said shaking her head. She flinched slightly at Charles glare. "There's more too this isn't there?" Charles looked back down at his hands again and nodded as Lisa sat down in a chair next to him.

"Jackson… was my adopted son."

((A/N. Short I know but it'll get better..... just a bit of an intro.... the whole Adopted son thing WILL be explained.))


	2. 28 Days Earlier

**Bittersweet Persuasion **

Chapter 2

Jackson walked down the street his hands in his pocket. There was a tear in his left pant leg and his jacket was now missing. Just his luck he not only had his car destroyed but also had been mugged and had his jacket, bag and wallet stolen. Just his luck. He rubbed his mouth with the back of his hand whipping away the blood that keep dripping down his face from his split lip. Now what? Jackson sighed and turned the corner and was almost knocked to the ground when he collided with a large mans chest. The man before him grabbed onto his arms steadying him. Jackson backed up slightly and looked up at him. "I'm sorry." He said. "I didn't mean to-" He half expected the large scary looking man to pummel him. But to his surprise the man smiled at him. "It's alright it happens. You look like you're in a bit of a rut." The man said with a slight smile. "Are you okay?" Jackson shook his head. He told the man what had happened and was slightly annoyed to hear the man laugh.

"You want some coffee?" The man asked. Jackson found it odd that the stranger was offering to take him for some coffee but non-the-less agreed. He needed help and didn't know where to get it. Maybe this man could help him. He followed to man to a near by coffee shop that was still open in the late hour. Just as Jackson entered the coffee shop, like a planned movie, it started raining. Jackson looked outside and pictured what would be happening at that moment if the man hadn't shown up. He'd probably be outside just muttering to himself what else could go wrong before the falling water drenched him. "Sit." The man said. Jackson jumped and sat down in the booth. The man ordered the coffee and smiled to Jackson. "My name is Donavan Cormac." He said holding his hand out to Jackson. Jackson smiled and shook his hand.

"Jackson Rippner." He said as they ordered their coffee.

"I know." Jackson paused and looked at the man.

"What?"

"I know a lot about you Jackson." He said leaning forward on the table. "Like I know that you don't like alcohol or anything that impairs your senses. I know that you believe you're house is haunted and that every Saturday you take your kids out for dinner at exactly six o'clock. You want to become an actor but have failed so far and will more than likely keep failing even though you know or at least think you're good. I know that you like hearing your wife say your name when you have sex and that hearing her scream gets you off." He smirked.

"What do you want?" Jackson asked. There was no way this man could know that much about him.

"You love you're family right?" He asked. "Of course you do, I know that already. Here's what you're going to do."

…

Jackson walked down his street. The man had given him a ride back to his home town and had dropped him off about a block away from his house. He had a new jacket and a folder in his hand. It had papers with a large amount of information about some girl named Lisa. The man had instructed him to memorize everything in the folder about this girl. He was yet to be informed as to why. He was also supplied with a cell phone.

As he neared his house he saw that silver BMW that Donavan had promised him would be sitting outside his house. He stared at the car and saw the man inside. The man smirked at him as he walked past and entered his house.

"Jackson?" Jackson once again looked up the stairs to see his wife coming down the stairs. "You're home already."

Jackson faked a smile. "Told you I would be home soon." He told her.

"What's wrong?" She asked. Jackson shook his head.

"Nothing." She looked down at the folder in his hand.

"What is that?" She asked.

"It's a script." He told her. "It's not from the movie I auditioned for. I ran into someone there, pitched me the idea when we got to talking about acting. Asked me to look it over for him."

"Oh… can I see it?" She asked.

"No." He said a little to quickly. "I mean…. It's not my place to allow others to read it. It is his script." She looked a little hurt but understood.

"Oh…. Alright." She hugged him and led him into the kitchen knowing he'd be hungry.

"Are the kids alright?" He asked. "They're sleeping?" She looked at him confused. He was acting very strange.

"Yes… they are fine." She told him. "Are you sure everything is alright?" He nodded.

"Don't worry." He said. "Everything is fine."


	3. Just His Luck

Bittersweet Persuasion Chapter 2 Jackson walked down the street his hands in his pocket. There was a tear in his left pant leg and his jacket was now missing. Just his luck he not only had his car destroyed but also had been mugged and had his jacket, bag and wallet stolen. Just his luck. He rubbed his mouth with the back of his hand whipping away the blood that keep dripping down his face from his split lip. Now what? Jackson sighed and turned the corner and was almost knocked to the ground when he collided with a large mans chest. The man before him grabbed onto his arms steadying him. Jackson backed up slightly and looked up at him. "I'm sorry." He said. "I didn't mean to-" He half expected the large scary looking man to pummel him. But to his surprise the man smiled at him. "It's alright it happens. You look like you're in a bit of a rut." The man said with a slight smile. "Are you okay?" Jackson shook his head. He told the man what had happened and was slightly annoyed to hear the man laugh.

"You want some coffee?" The man asked. Jackson found it odd that the stranger was offering to take him for some coffee but non-the-less agreed. He needed help and didn't know where to get it. Maybe this man could help him. He followed to man to a near by coffee shop that was still open in the late hour. Just as Jackson entered the coffee shop, like a planned movie, it started raining. Jackson looked outside and pictured what would be happening at that moment if the man hadn't shown up. He'd probably be outside just muttering to himself what else could go wrong before the falling water drenched him. "Sit." The man said. Jackson jumped and sat down in the booth. The man ordered the coffee and smiled to Jackson. "My name is Donavan Cormac." He said holding his hand out to Jackson. Jackson smiled and shook his hand.

"Jackson Rippner." He said as they ordered their coffee.

"I know." Jackson paused and looked at the man.

"What?"

"I know a lot about you Jackson." He said leaning forward on the table. "Like I know that you don't like alcohol or anything that impairs your senses. I know that you believe you're house is haunted and that every Saturday you take your kids out for dinner at exactly six o'clock. You want to become an actor but have failed so far and will more than likely keep failing even though you know or at least think you're good. I know that you like hearing your wife say your name when you have sex and that hearing her scream gets you off." He smirked.

"What do you want?" Jackson asked. There was no way this man could know that much about him.

"You love you're family right?" He asked. "Of course you do, I know that already. Here's what you're going to do."

…

Jackson walked down his street. The man had given him a ride back to his home town and had dropped him off about a block away from his house. He had a new jacket and a folder in his hand. It had papers with a large amount of information about some girl named Lisa. The man had instructed him to memorize everything in the folder about this girl. He was yet to be informed as to why. He was also supplied with a cell phone.

As he neared his house he saw that silver BMW that Donavan had promised him would be sitting outside his house. He stared at the car and saw the man inside. The man smirked at him as he walked past and entered his house.

"Jackson?" Jackson once again looked up the stairs to see his wife coming down the stairs. "You're home already."

Jackson faked a smile. "Told you I would be home soon." He told her.

"What's wrong?" She asked. Jackson shook his head.

"Nothing." She looked down at the folder in his hand.

"What is that?" She asked.

"It's a script." He told her. "It's not from the movie I auditioned for. I ran into someone there, pitched me the idea when we got to talking about acting. Asked me to look it over for him."

"Oh… can I see it?" She asked.

"No." He said a little to quickly. "I mean…. It's not my place to allow others to read it. It is his script." She looked a little hurt but understood.

"Oh…. Alright." She hugged him and led him into the kitchen knowing he'd be hungry.

"Are the kids alright?" He asked. "They're sleeping?" She looked at him confused. He was acting very strange.

"Yes… they are fine." She told him. "Are you sure everything is alright?" He nodded.

"Don't worry." He said. "Everything is fine."


	4. The Invitation

**Bittersweet Persuasion**

Chapter 3

Lisa stared down at the large envelope in her hands. The one Jackson had been given. She looked over the contents in complete and utter shock. To be honest the news had shocked both her and her father. The envelope contained all the information about Lisa that Jackson needed to know. Everything he had mentioned down to what type of drinks she drank regularly. He hadn't been watching her for eight weeks like he had said…. The grad picture on the nightstand, the wallets initials… everything was in the small stack of papers inside the envelope.

She watched as her father leaned forward and picked up a small invitation card off the table. It was an invitation from Charles Keefe. An invitation to Jackson's funeral. She felt tears prick her eyes. She hated Jackson for what he had done to her and her father. But she hated the men who had used him more. For all she knew, Jackson really was the nice flirtatious guy she had met in the airport. Not the crazed psychopath he turned into later. She briefly wondered if the way he was acting in the house was just him as an actor… or if he had just hit that point of desperation to save his family. She was swinging more towards the latter, no one could act that well. He must have cared dearly for his family, to kill for them. To die for them.

"Do you want to go?" She heard her father ask. She wanted to say no. She wanted desperately to say that she wanted nothing more to do with this man. But she knew she couldn't. In a way she wanted to meet the people he had gone to such lengths to protect.

"I'll go." She said simply.

"Are you sure honey. He did-"

"I know what he did." She said. "He did the same thing I did. He did everything in his power to keep the ones he loved alive and safe."

_'Sometimes bad things happen to good people.' _She remembered him saying on the plane. Maybe he had been a good person.

"Yes but you didn't try to kill anyone trying to do it." He told her sounding upset.

"He wouldn't have had to either had I switched the rooms." She said. "If I had switched the rooms then-"

"Than Charles would be dead." He told her. "Charles and his family."

"Yes, I know. But I guess from his point of view it wasn't on his hands. Really all he had to do was get me to switch the rooms. The blood would have…" She paused. Who's hands would it be on? Hers? Would it be on Jackson's? or would it be on the person who did it? She no longer knew. "He went about it the wrong way. But I guess he didn't know what else to do. Just like I didn't know what else to do. I took a chance stabbing him with that pen and coming here. For all I knew you'd be dead before I'd even get here. It was a chance and it wasn't a chance he was willing to take with his family."

Her father didn't say anything as he put the envelope down on the table once again. It was that weekend.

"I'll go with you." He said. "Just so I know nothing happens to you." Lisa sighed and nodded. She understood how protective her father was. Now more than ever.


	5. I'm Sorry

**Bittersweet Persuasion**

Chapter 4

Lisa and her father walked into the room, the first thing she noticed was the dark brown casket. There wasn't many people in the room, probably mostly family and a few friends. She moved towards the casket and looked into it. He wore a plain black suit with a deep red tie that was lifted just slightly to cover the small hole where she had stabbed him with the pen. He looked so peaceful so… at ease. Nothing like the man she had met on the air plane.

"Are you Lisa Reisert?" Lisa jumped slightly and turned to see a woman standing behind her. "Sorry I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's okay." She said. "And yes I am."

"Hi." She said holding out her hand to shake Lisa's. "I'm Joanne Rippner. Jackson's wife." Lisa shifted slightly uncomfortably but shook her hand none the less. Joanne's nose was red and you could tell she had been crying. She looked off to the side a bit and saw two children. They both sat on a small couch, one was crying as his mother had been the other crying as well though she suspected it was more from the fact that everyone else was crying and she didn't understand why. She noticed Joanne held her hand on her stomach and noticed the slight bump. She was pregnant.

Joanne smiled sadly as she noticed Lisa's gaze. "I told him." She said pausing. "The night before he left, I told him." She rubbed her hand on her stomach briefly before putting her hand down. Lisa looked down not able to meet Joanne's gaze.

"I'm so sorry." She said. Joanne shook her head.

"They told me what had happened." She said. "As much as I want to be upset… no…. mad…. At the both of you." She said looking at her and her father. "I can't." She said. "It wasn't your fault. They would have killed us had he not done it. It was his fault for doing what he did, I can't fault anyone other than the men who put him in this situation." She said. Lisa nodded.

"I fully understand." She heard her father scoff but ignored him.

"He was a nice man you know." Joanne said. "He was a good father." She smiled slightly before continuing. "I remember once when Jonathan was two years old, he had a flu. Jackson sat with him on the couch watching Teletubies for eight hours." Lisa smiled.

"He sounds like a good man." She nodded. Lisa heard her father scoff once again and turned and glared at him.

"Mommy?" Lisa looked down as Addison pulled on her mothers skirt. "Mommy when is daddy coming back?"

Lisa closed her eyes as she felt tears prick her eyes. She felt so horrible for the little girl and the young boy that would never see their father ever again. For the child that would be born never even knowing who he was. Joanne knelt down next to Addison and hugged her.

"Daddy's gone away." Joanne told her. "But… you'll see him again one day." Addison's eyes watered again.

"He went away?" She asked. "When daddy coming back?"

Joanne didn't answer for a few moments before she silently answered her. "He's not."

"Why isn't he coming back?" Joanne took a deep breath and sighed.

"You're daddy loves you Addison." She looked over as Jonathan came up to them as well. "You're daddy will always love you both. But he can't be here anymore."

"Why not?" Jonathan asked. Joanne hugged them both and rubbed their backs comfortingly.

"You'll understand when you're older." She said.

"I want daddy." Addison said tears now running down her small cheeks.

"I know dear." She said. "I know." She looked up as Jonathan and Addison's grandparents came up and pulled them away from their mother so that she could finish up her conversation with Lisa. Both grandparents glared daggers at Lisa, clearly blaming her for their son-in-laws death but not saying anything.

"I could see it you know." Lisa said as Joanne stood up. "The way he looked at me when he died, I know he was sorry. For attacking us, for everything that's happened, for failing you." She sighed. "At first I thought he was just sorry for failing his job but… now I understand." Joanne nodded not knowing how to respond to that.

Lisa felt a bit uncomfortable as she saw Joanne's father moving towards them.

"You're Lisa correct?" He asked coldly.

"I am." She said.

"I think it would be best if you left." He said. Joanne turned to her father.

"No, dad it's okay. Charles invited her. It's alright if she's here." Her father shook her head.

"No…" He said. "Not it's not. You should leave. If you know what's good for you." He said as his wife moved up beside him not arguing with him in the least. Lisa looked around the room and saw a few others giving her and her father dirty looks. She felt suddenly very small. Like a poisonous bug that needed to be squashed and quickly.

"Come on Lease…." Joe said. Lisa looked to her father and nodded. "Lets go." He said taking her arm gently in his hand and leading her to the door. She passed by the casket once again peering inside.

"I'm sorry Jackson." She said. She closed her eyes and listened to the sound of Jonathan and Addison soft cries in the background before looking one last time at Jackson. She felt her fathers hand on her shoulder before she turned and quickly left the room.

-End-


End file.
